Seven Vincent van Goghs on one wall in Canberra was once the stuff of dreams at the National Gallery of Australia until its director Ron Radford pulled off an incredible coup that brought 112 post-impressionist masterpieces to the gallery.
In pictures: van Gogh, Gauguin and Cézanne's masterpieces
Along with the van Goghs, including The Starry Night, came paintings by Paul Gauguin, Paul Cézanne, Georges Seurat, Pierre Bonnard, Claude Monet, Maurice Denis, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec and Edouard Vuillard, among many others, courtesy of the Musée D’Orsay, Paris, that has closed for a refit.
Unpacking a van Gogh is a breathtaking experience, says Adam Worrall, assistant director at the NGA. “We all gasped when we opened the crate with Starry Night. The colours are startling.”
Must read: Canberra city guide
So valuable are the paintings in the exhibition that the federal government had to indemnify them – insurance was impossible – and eight separate planes were used to transport the collection in case of an accident.
Not only are these paintings sublimely beautiful, but they “represent the turning point between Impressionism and all modern art that followed”, says joint exhibition curator Lucina Ward.
In pictures: van Gogh, Gauguin and Cézanne's masterpieces
Save yourself the $2000-plus airfare to Paris and pay a visit to Canberra instead. Entry is $25. Buy a catalogue and compare the experience of seeing the real paintings and their reproductions. There’s simply no comparison.
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